Trust makes everything taste better
How important is food safety to your customers? What happens if you break their trust in you getting food safety right? As it turns out, trust is one of the most important ingredients in a meal – once it’s gone, so is their appetite and their loyalty.
New Zealand Food Safety (NZFS) recently treated a group of people to a free burger tasting session. But as we all know there’s really no such thing as a free lunch. So, what was the catch?
Well, for a start they had to eat their burgers in front of a camera. While they savoured their meal, we then filled them in about food safety checks and why we do them, before asking an intriguing question about the food they were enjoying that immediately put them off eating any more. A film crew captured their reactions as their imaginations went into overdrive. But no more spoilers – you can watch what happened here.
The Trust Test experiment is part of an industry-focused campaign launched to strengthen business owners and managers' understanding of food safety and embed good food safety practices into their workplace routine. NZFS have also updated their handy resource for food businesses – The Food Safety Buddy, to better assist these businesses with maintaining good practices.
The campaign is based around the insight that food safety matters more to customers than business owners may realise – the takeaway being that ‘Trust makes everything taste better’.
Getting smarter about food safety
The Food Safety Buddy grew out of research by NZFS into commercial food safety culture in New Zealand. Added to data from regular food safety verifications, it was clear there were still key areas where businesses needed advice and assistance.
As a result of this research, NZFS has updated The Food Safety Buddy and their Top 5 food safety posters, to help everyone in your team with best practice food safety.
The Buddy
The Buddy walks people through the fundamentals – washing hands, separation, temperature control, cleaning up, record keeping, why and when things can go wrong and how to handle it if they do.
Even for seasoned food service professionals, there will be some things they haven’t stopped to think about recently. Phones in the kitchen, for example, can be a real problem. While staff may be good at washing their hands after using the bathroom, they often take their phones with them; the phone case and screen are a breeding ground for all kinds of harmful bacteria.
So, even if you think you are on top of food safety best practices in your business, it will be worthwhile ordering or downloading your free Food Safety Buddy for a quick refresher.
The Buddy’s easy-to-follow format streamlines food safety training for new staff.
It also has QR code links throughout to access additional information, demonstration videos and poster downloads.
Good food safety is good for business
It’s clear from the research most businesses have pride in their operations, and are motivated to build and maintain a good reputation. And in the food business, reputation really matters.
As the Trust Test proves, when people have reason to doubt the quality and safety of what they’re eating – no matter how good it looks and tastes – their appetite quickly disappears. And so does their custom.
Good food safety is definitely good for business.
You can watch the Food Safety Trust Test and download or order your free Food Safety Buddy Guide here. (But please wash your hands thoroughly afterwards!)